Toothbrush with illumination system

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein are toothbrushes. The toothbrushes have an illumination system. In some arrangements, the toothbrush can have bristles that are illuminated by the illumination system. The illumination system can be positioned with a toothbrush head.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 60/736,342, filed Nov. 14, 2005, the entirety of which is herebyincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to dental hygiene products, and moreparticularly, to toothbrushes.

2. Description of the Related Art

To ensure proper oral care, dentists recommend that people brush theirteeth more than once a day for at least two to three minutes each time.Despite this recommendation, the average adult person does not brush hisor her teeth for two to three minutes. This problem is worse withchildren, who generally tend to have shorter attention spans, and oftenview brushing their teeth as a chore. Accordingly, there is a generalneed for a device that encourages people, especially children, to brushtheir teeth more often and for longer periods of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention comprises a toothbrush thatincludes a head having a plurality of bristles configured to cleanteeth. At least one illumination element that outputs light ispositioned within the head. A body extends from the head. The bodydefines a handle that is for gripping by a user. The body can also housea power source that delivers energy to the at least one illuminationelement positioned within the head. In some variations, the headcomprises a plurality of illumination elements. In some variations, thehead comprises transparent material positioned at the base of thebristles such that light from the at least one illumination elementpasses through the transparent material to illuminate the bristles. Insome variations, at least one illumination element comprises a pluralityof LEDs. The LEDs may be colored. In some variations, the body furthercomprises a switch for selectively activating the at least oneillumination element.

Another embodiment of the present invention comprises a toothbrush thatincludes a toothbrush head comprising a plurality of cleaning elements.The toothbrush can have an illumination device for outputting light. Ahandle of the toothbrush is coupled to the toothbrush head. The handlecan have a switch for controlling the output of the illumination device.In some variations, the switch can be activated to turn the illuminationdevice ON or OFF. In some variations, the illumination device is a lightsource positioned within a toothbrush head.

Another embodiment of the present invention comprises toothbrush with atoothbrush head that includes a plurality of cleaning elements. Thetoothbrush can have an illumination system for outputting light. Ahandle of the toothbrush can be coupled to the toothbrush head. In somevariations, the handle can have a switch for controlling theillumination system. In some variations, the switch can be activated toturn the illumination device ON or OFF. In some variations, theillumination system comprises a plurality of light sources positionwithin a toothbrush head. The illumination system can direct light inany desired direction.

In other embodiments, an illumination system for cleaning elements canbe applied to other types of cleaning devices, such as, for example,body brushes, hair brushes and the like. Further, one or more othersensory elements can be included in the toothbrush or other device. Forexample, in addition to or in lieu of illuminating the bristles or othercleaning elements, a toothbrush can be configured to vibrate, make asound and/or perform any other action that may be perceived by a user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects of the inventions will be readily apparent fromthe detailed description below and the appended drawings, which aremeant to illustrate and not to limit the invention. The drawings containthe following figures.

FIG. 1A is a front elevational view of a toothbrush having anillumination system.

FIG. 1B is a side elevational view of the toothbrush of FIG. 1A with aclosure in an open position.

FIG. 1C is a back elevational view of the toothbrush of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view of the toothbrush of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A is a front elevational view of a toothbrush having anillumination system in accordance with another embodiment.

FIG. 2B is a side elevational view of the toothbrush of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2C is a back elevational view of the toothbrush of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a toothbrush having an illuminationsystem in accordance with another embodiment.

FIG. 3B is another perspective view of the toothbrush of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is an enlarged perspective view of a head of the toothbrush ofFIG. 3 when an illumination system is not activated.

FIG. 4B is an enlarged perspective view of the head of the toothbrush ofFIG. 3A when the illumination system is activated.

FIG. 4C is another view of the head of the toothbrush of FIG. 3 when theillumination system is activated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a toothbrush 40 that has an illumination system41 that can be activated. The illumination system 41 can include one ormore illumination elements for outputting light. The toothbrush 40comprises a toothbrush head 48, a body 50, and a closure 60 attached tothe body 50. The closure 60 can be opened to expose an inner chamberthat holds a power source 53 (e.g., a battery as illustrated). Thetoothbrush head 48 can be integrally mounted to the body 50, whichextends downwardly and is attached to the closure 60.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the head 48 can comprise a pluralityof cleaning elements 74 configured to clean a person's teeth. Theillustrated cleaning elements 74 are in the form of a plurality ofbristles extending from the head 48. The bristles 74 can also berotatably mounted to the mounting head 76. For example, the toothbrush40 can be an automatic toothbrush (e.g., a motorized toothbrush) thatmoves (e.g., rotates or vibrates) the bristles 74 when turned ON. Asillustrated, the body 50 can comprise a switch 61 (FIG. 2C) for turningthe bristles 74 OFF/ON.

The switch 61 can be slidably mounted to the body 50. Such as switch 61can be slid between an ON and OFF position. In alternative embodiments,the switch 61 can occupy an OFF position. The switch 61 can then bedepressed to an ON position. Other types of switches can also beemployed. The switch 61 also can operate both the bristles 74 and theillumination system. However, separate switches can be provided for theillumination system 41 and for the rotation of the bristles 74. Thus,the illumination system 41 and the bristles 74 can be operatedindependently.

The toothbrush 40 can comprise the power source 53, motor (e.g., anelectric motor), a drive mechanism, etc. for rotating the bristles 74.The power source 53 can comprise one or more batteries, a power outlet,or other power supply that power an automatic toothbrush and/or theillumination system 41. The illustrated power source 53 is a singlebattery.

The illustrated head 48 has an upper set 76 and a lower set 77 ofcleaning elements 74. The sets 76, 77 can be moved (e.g., rotated) whilea person uses the toothbrush 40. Thus, the motorized head 48 canfacilitate brushing due to the rotating cleaning elements 74. Inalternative embodiments, the cleaning elements 74 can be fixedlyattached to the head 48.

The illumination system 41 preferably comprises one or more illuminationelements 91 that can be activated. In some embodiments, including theillustrated embodiment of FIG. 1D, the head 48 comprises a plurality ofillumination elements 81 evenly or unevenly spaced along the head 48.The illumination elements 81 can be lighting elements that can beactivated for a desired length of time. When the illumination elements81 are activated, the bristles 74, which can be made of a translucent orsemi-translucent material, can be illuminated to enhance the brushingexperience.

To activate the illumination elements 81, the switch 61 can be moved toan ON position. Thus, the lighting elements 81 of FIGS. 2A-2D can beactivated at any time. After a person brushes their teeth, the switchcan be moved to an OFF position. Accordingly, the elements 81 can beenergized for any length of time. The bristles 74 can be actuated andsimultaneously illuminated, if desired.

In alternative embodiments, the illumination elements 81 of thetoothbrush 40 can be activated when the toothbrush 40 is moved, such asduring normal brushing. In some embodiments, the lighting elements 81are activated when the bristles 74 are pressed against a surface.Pressure sensors can be disposed in the head 48 to determine when thebristles 74 engage a person's teeth. Alternatively, the lightingelements 81 can be activated when the toothbrush 40 undergoes a targettemperature change or is exposed to a fluid, such as water.

In some embodiments, the lighting elements 81 can remain activated for adesired length of time, preferably corresponding to a desired brushperiod (e.g., 1 minute or 2 minutes). The lighting element caneffectively function as a timer to ensure that a person utilizes thetoothbrush 40 for a target period of time. Alternatively, the toothbrushcan be configured so that the lighting elements are deactivated by oneor more other methods, such as, for example, manually (e.g., actuating aswitch, performing a particular task, etc.).

Each illumination element 81 can comprise one or more light sources(e.g., a diode) powered by a power source (e.g., a battery). Thelighting element can pulse, remain continuously activated for the entirebrushing period, or have a programmed sequence of activation. Thelighting element can be activated to make brushing more enjoyable orfun, especially, for children.

The illumination elements can output light of various colors. Ifdesired, the illumination element can output orange light, blue light,red light, green light, or any other color light. In some embodiments, acombination of different colors can be used and/or the different colorscan be activated in a desired timing pattern. Of course, various coloredmaterials can be employed with light sources to create light ofa-desired color. In some embodiments, the elements can be blue, red,green and/or yellow LEDs, for example. Any other color and/or colorcombinations can also be used.

The system 41 can have one or more optical windows that can transmitlight rays. With respect to FIG. 2B, the head 48 has a plurality ofoptical windows 91 formed in the body of the head 49. Any number ofoptical windows can be employed. The position of the optical windows canbe selected to achieve the desired illumination.

With reference again to FIGS. 1A to 1D, the toothbrush 40 can compriseany material suitable for forming a toothbrush. Transparent materialscan be utilized so as to permit a person to view light outputted fromthe illumination elements. For example, the head 40 can comprise asomewhat clear hard plastic that can be formed, for example, by amolding process (e.g., an injection molding process, a compressionmolding process, etc.). Alternatively, the toothbrush 40 can compriseopaque materials. The body 50 can comprise polymers, metals,combinations thereof, or other materials having suitable mechanicalproperties for forming the body 50. The illustrated body 50 is a handlethat can be conveniently gripped to hold the toothbrush 40.

The closure 60 is removably coupled to the body 50 and forms a bottom200 of the toothbrush 40. As used herein, the term “closure” is a broadterm and is used in its ordinary meaning and includes, withoutlimitation, a cap, a cover, or other structure that can be attached tothe body 50.

FIGS. 2A to 2C depict another embodiment of a toothbrush, which may begenerally similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1D,except as further detailed below. Where possible, similar elements areidentified with identical reference numerals in the depiction of theembodiment of FIG. 1A to 1D.

With continued reference to FIG. 2A, the brush 140 has an elongatedillumination system 100 positioned on the front face of the head 48. Theillustrated system 100 includes an optical window 91 and a lightingelement 81. The arcuate illumination system 100 is positioned betweenthe body 50 and the bristles, but the system 100 can be at otherlocations, if desired. In some embodiments, the illumination system cancomprise one or more LEDs. For example, the illustrated illuminationsystem 100 can be a single blue LED light.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a toothbrush in accordance with anotherembodiment. The toothbrush 240 is generally similar to the toothbrushesdescribed above, except as detailed below.

The toothbrush 240 has a switch 250 that can be actuated to turn OFF orON an illumination system positioned within a head 252 of a toothbrush240. In the illustrated embodiment, the bristles 74 are fixedly attachedto the head 252.

With respect to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4A, the head 252comprises an illumination system within a head body 270. A cover 280 canbe positioned over the illumination system. Thus, the cover 280 and thehead body 270 cooperate to form the toothbrush head 252 that containsthe illumination system. The bristles 74 are fixedly mounted to thecover 280. In some embodiments, including the illustrated embodiment,the cover 280 defines an optical window that allows light to passtherethrough. Thus, the head 252 can have a multi-piece construction.

In other embodiments, the head 252 can have a one-piece construction.The cover 280 and the head body 270 can be monolithically formed.Preferably, the cover 280 and the head body 270 have different opticalproperties such that more light passes through the cover 280 than thehead body 270.

As shown in FIG. 4B, when the switch 250 is moved to the ON position,illumination elements 300 output light. The cover 280 transmits thelight such that at least some of the bristles 74 are illuminated. Thehead 252 can direct the light from the illumination elements 300 towardsthe bristles 74.

When the user brushes their teeth with the brush 240, the user canactivate the illumination elements 300 such that the illuminationelements. 300 provide a sufficient amount of light to improve viewing ofthe person's teeth. In low light conditions, the illumination elements300 ensure that the person can adequately view their teeth duringbrushing. FIG. 4C illustrates the brush head 252 in low light conditionswhen the illumination elements are activated. For younger uses, thelight also makes the toothbrush more visually interesting and moreenjoyable to use.

The cover 280 can be formed of any transparent material. For example, atleast a portion of the cover 280 can be formed of polypropylene,polyethylene terephthalate (“PET”), polyethylene, or othersemi-transparent or transparent materials. In the illustratedembodiment, a substantial portion of the cover 280 is formed of atransparent material. Although not illustrated, the brush 240 can be amotorized brush that has rotatable bristles 74.

In other embodiments, the toothbrush can include one or more othersensory elements, either in lieu of or in addition to the illuminationelements. For example, the toothbrush can be configured to move (e.g.,vibrate), emit a sound and/or the like.

The various methods and techniques described above provide a number ofways to carry out the invention. Of course, it is to be understood thatnot necessarily all objectives or advantages described may be achievedin accordance with any particular embodiment described herein. Thus, forexample, those skilled in the art will recognize that the methods may beperformed in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or groupof advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving otherobjectives or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

Furthermore, the skilled artisan will recognize the interchangeabilityof various features from different embodiments disclosed herein. Thetoothbrushes may or may not be self-standing and may or may not comprisea stamp. Similarly, the various features and steps discussed above, aswell as other known equivalents for each such feature or step, can bemixed and matched by one of ordinary skill in this art to performmethods in accordance with principles described herein. Additionally,the methods which is described and illustrated herein is not limited tothe exact sequence of acts described, nor is it necessarily limited tothe practice of all of the acts set forth. Other sequences of events oracts, or less than all of the events, or simultaneous occurrence of theevents, may be utilized in practicing the embodiments of the invention.

Although the invention has been disclosed in the context of certainembodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in theart that the invention extends beyond the specifically disclosedembodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses and obviousmodifications and equivalents thereof. Accordingly, the invention is notintended to be limited by the specific disclosures of preferredembodiments herein.

1. A toothbrush comprising: a head having a plurality of bristlesconfigured to clean teeth and at least one illumination element thatoutputs light, the illumination element positioned within the head; anda body extending from the head, the body defining a handle for grippingby a user, a power source for delivering energy to the at least oneillumination element.
 2. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the headcomprises a plurality of illumination elements.
 3. The toothbrush ofclaim 1, wherein the head comprises transparent material positioned atthe base of the bristles such that light from the at least oneillumination element passes through the transparent material toilluminate the bristles.
 4. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein at leastone illumination element comprises a plurality of LEDs.
 5. Thetoothbrush of claim 4, wherein the LEDs output blue light.
 6. Thetoothbrush of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a switch forselectively activating the at least one illumination element.
 7. Atoothbrush comprising: a toothbrush head comprising a plurality ofcleaning elements; an illumination system for outputting light; and ahandle coupled to the toothbrush head, the handle having a switch forcontrolling the illumination system.
 8. The toothbrush of claim 7,wherein the switch can be activated to turn the illumination system ONor OFF.
 9. The toothbrush of claim 7, wherein the illumination system isa light source positioned within the toothbrush head.
 10. The toothbrushof claim 7, wherein the body has a chamber is sized so as to hold atleast one battery that powers the illumination system.